Arctic Yearbook 2014 - Page 301

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Arctic Yearbook 2014
appropriate development in the first instance, for Finland and Sweden the concern is product and
destination diversification, Canada needs to better understand and support what they already “have”
as a product because there are significant issues around permitting and regulatory processes.
Meanwhile Alaska appears to be at a highpoint, but even with its status as a premiere destination,
stakeholders are conscious of global changes that may impact them. There is a general sense of
optimism about the future of Arctic tourism, but all of that could change because in no jurisdiction
is the industry completely sustainable.
This comparative study has revealed directions for future research that could move Arctic tourism in
a more sustainable direction, thus addressing the academic critiques mentioned at the beginning of
the paper. For example, we have exposed a consistent straining between the perceived need for
economic development through tourism (and the resultant demand for more infrastructure) and the
fear that more tourism will degrade natural environments and negatively impact small communities.
Future studies that compare the governance of tourism in multiple Arctic countries would likely
reveal useful insights about how public, private, and civic stakeholders negotiate the rules of tourism
development. A better comparative understanding of tourism governance through either a single
research study or adjoined studies, in turn, should reveal strategies that allow decision making
processes to be fair and effective, which is direly needed in light of the rapid Arctic changes taking
place.
Acknowledgements
This paper was written as a collaborative effort of the University of the Arctic Thematic Network on
Northern Tourism. Maher initiated the submission and coordinated co-author contributions. The
remaining authors are listed alphabetically and provided specific geographical expertise: Gelter
(Sweden); Hillmer-Pegram (Alaska); Hovgaard (Faroe Islands); Hull (Canada); Jóhannesson,
(Iceland); Karlsdóttir (Iceland); Rantala (Finland); Pashkevich (Russia).
References
AKDOG (Alaska Division of Oil and Gas). (2014). Distribution of Funds Received from Oil and Gas
Leases (2002-present). Retrieved from http://dog.dnr.alaska.gov/. Accessed on June 5, 2014.
Arion banki. (2013). Ferðaþjónustan: Atvinnugrein á unglingsaldri [Tourism: sector in its youth].
Reykjavík: Arion banki.
Belik, V. (2013, May). Our annual tourism report card. Up Here Business. 118. Retrieved from
www.upherebusiness.ca. Accessed on May 17, 2014.
Maher, Gelter, Hillmer-Pegram, Hovgaard, Hull, Jóhannesson, Karlsdóttir, Rantala, & Pashkevich